More flavors for Cris Abrego

Producer snags trio of MTV series

“Flavor of Love” exec producer Cris Abrego has snagged a trio of series commitments from MTV, including the full-figure competition skein “Chubby Model.”

Casting has just started on “Chubby Model,” a sort of “America’s Next Top Model” for overweight women. Abrego will exec produce the series, working closely with MTV senior veep of series development Liz Gateley.

Gateley has also recruited Abrego to exec produce “From G’s to Gents,” the previously announced social makeover skein from Jamie Foxx (Daily Variety, Nov. 15). MTV has scheduled “G’s” to premiere in July.

In addition to the two greenlit series, MTV has given Abrego a blind series order for a third project to be produced at a later date.

“Cris has created and produced some of the most entertaining pop culture hits of the decade,” Gateley said, adding that Abrego is known for “taking chances, breaking new ground and launching hits fast.”

Abrego will exec produce the MTV triple play via his Cris Abrego Prods. He is also a partner with Mark Cronin in 51 Minds, the reality factory behind a slew of VH1 hits that was recently acquired by Endemol USA in a deal valued at upward of $200 million (Daily Variety, April 2).

While Abrego has focused much of his energies on programming for VH1, producer has a history with MTV that stretches back to his days as a staffer for “Road Rules.” He was also supervising producer on MTV’s “Fear” and “Surf Girls.”